Ten reasons Rahm Emanuel won the race for Chicago mayor

CHICAGO--Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel won the six-way race for mayor because "he ran a textbook campaign," said Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) who followed Emanuel in Congress when he gave up his House seat to become President Obama's White House chief of staff.

Ten reasons why Emanuel won:

1. Millions of dollars: Emanuel overwhelmed his rivals from the start with his formidable fund-raising ability. He took advantage of Illinois laws that allowed six-figure donations until Dec. 31.

2. He had a professional campaign, sprung almost full born from the day he started running: press, policy, fund-raising, you name it.

4. Chicago's black community never organized strongly behind former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) the nation's first African American female senator.
This 2011 election was nowhere near a repeat of 1983, when Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor, was elected.

5. He had the overt endorsement of President Clinton.

6. He had the de facto endorsement of President Obama, the nation's first black president and a Chicagoan. Emanuel was able to run strongly in the city's black wards.

7. Emanuel's abrasive edge was tempered by a circus of a residency challenge which made him into a sympathetic character. Emanuel was disciplined enough not to display in public any use of foul language or brusque behavior. Emanuel also displayed his nicer side when he first ran for the House in 2002.

8. Emanuel had the support of Chicago's business establishment.

9. Emanuel had the money to run more television spots than any rivals.

10. Emanuel was not dependent on any ward organization or specific unions and created his own organization to win.

Emanuel also won because Gery Chico failed to make himself a compelling candidate. That was on him. As for Braun, the reason she got only 9 percent is simple: she got to be a U.S. senator, then bungled the job so badly that she tainted anyone even vaguely connected to her. What, you screw up that horribly and think you're going to be rewarded by becoming mayor of Chicago?? In what universe would *that* make sense?! Not in this lifetime. Still, Rahm shouldn't celebrate too long: right now, every cop in the city hates him, and probably most of the firefighters, too. Not a good start, and he's not even in office yet. Unless Emanuel has suddenly developed some heretofore unknown diplomatic or negotiating skills, he's gonna have a bumpy ride.

Finally, no man leaves the White House and comes back home to lose!
He said he wanted to be Mayor, it seemed all the other's wanted him not to be Mayor, Chico had the best shot, but he forgot his own message, he tried slinging mud, but that was ineffective, and poor Carol Mosely-Braun was out of her league, that is why Meeks and Davis dropped out, they couldn't get her to drop out, and Davis' last ad was terrible, so it is Rahm in a landslide!